You want to get your baby to bed so you can have an evening to yourself, but your baby is insistent on spending time crying and being uncomfortable, which means that you need to think about how you can get your baby to be more relaxed. It’s not always easy to think about how to ensure that your baby is comfortable, but there are so many ways that you can make sure that your baby is as relaxed as possible.
That baby you brought home isn’t a robot. They’re a human being in miniature with all of the feelings they have no idea how to regulate and control. They need some help to relax, and while you can’t (and shouldn’t) kick back with a glass of wine, there are other things that you can do. Some people take baby massage classes to learn how to reduce discomfort and gas with their baby, with the best baby massage oil infused with essential oils for relaxation at the same time. Others follow the tips below to ensure that you can make your baby feel fully relaxed and ready to sleep. Are you ready to learn a little more? Let’s take a look!
- Get to know your baby’s cues. Every baby has noises that they make to give you an indication of what they need. Their little legs pulling up to their chests? That’s bubbles of gas in the tummy that are making them cramp up and in pain. Pulling on ears? That’s an indicator of sore ears due to teething pain. The light whined around 2 hours after waking up? That’s their cue that they’d like to nap now! Paying attention to these cues is important.
- Trust yourself – but always back it up. You are a mother and instinctively, you’re going to know what to do with your baby. You shouldn’t compare yourself to other people, but you should get to know what’s true and what isn’t. Some people have babies that sleep through the night but yours may not until toddlerhood. Others feed their babies solid food early to make them sleep, but science shows that this isn’t ideal for their stomachs – so it’s a bad idea to go against that science! Trust your instinct with your baby and get to know their needs.
- Use essential oils. Babies really do relax to the right essential oils, but just use the 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils. Lavender is a must, but you don’t have to put them on baby’s skin! Diffusers in the home are a great way to ensure that your baby is slowly relaxing.
- Touch. To truly relax your baby, rock them. Hold them. Sleep with them. Pick them up when they grizzle and hold them when they’re happy. Skin to skin touch is a good thing for both parents, and attachment and security is a must. Children rely on touch to feel safe – the Western way of parenting teaches detachment. You don’t have to, though.
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This is a contributed post.
